Negrense artist navigates Manila in latest exhibit

Born and bred in Bacolod City in the island of Negros, young Simon Suplido, who comes from a close-knit family of four siblings and four dogs, appreciated cartoons and comics for their fun images and style. This spurred his creativity, which eventually led him to draw, paint, and take up graphic design. The colorful illustrations, coupled with the annual Masskara festival, fueled his artistic passion.

He soon braved the unfamiliar and harsh streets of Manila to pursue his collegiate studies. The adjustments he made as a Negrense to the customs of Manila was the focus of his first solo exhibit Monochrome Make Known at the Grey Room Art Space, Art District in his hometown.

"Most artworks reflected my feelings of isolation in Manila as a result of learning a slightly different culture," he confessed.

The showcase took the form of black-and-white charcoal pencils on kraft paper, which he believed was the ideal medium to best represent his thoughts and feelings. "Which ironically aren't black and white, metaphorically," said the Multimedia Arts graduate from the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.

Simon finds that drawing helps get rid of anxiety. "Being able to write down my thoughts and read them to learn about myself also helps understand my situation and what needs to be done. Having my sketchbook around, in general, is relaxing to me, since I know I can write or draw anytime," he said.

His dream would have been to observe the great Salvador Dali at work. "His famous quotes include, 'I don't do drugs. I am drugs' and 'Every morning when I wake up, I experience an exquisite joy — the joy of being Salvador Dalí — and I ask myself in rapture: What wonderful things is this Salvador Dalí going to accomplish today?' I would have loved to meet this larger than life of a man, observe his work methods, and ride the lightning of creativity."

Let us listen to Simon's thoughts as a lone soul in Manila:

On his exhibit centerpiece:
The most meaningful artwork and the cover of my first solo exhibition announcement was Chicken Dinner. It means a lot to me because it expresses my feelings of exploring the metropolis and having a certain culture within me in a different environment.

On Monochrome Make Known themes
Other artworks would be about my personal issues, my trials during the pandemic, and even about our dependence on technology, all while having experienced them and learned about them in Manila.

On favorite piece of art
If it's within the parameters of all forms of art, including music and film, then mine would be 2001: A Space Odyssey. Simply amazingly well-rounded — it had great visual effects, scoring, and symbolism.

On climate change
There is an urgent need for good governance. We need to adopt lifestyle changes to lessen the impact of climate change.

On future projects
Along with my childhood best friend, we are currently working on a sketch comedy series, titled Basura ­— mostly just fun stories and ideas we want to film as short skits. I have another solo exhibition by March 2023. This will feature my fluorescent paintings at Block 17 Art Space in the Art District of Bacolod City. And as for personal work, I have been working on an animation for the past two years.
I'm really taking my time with it since it's more of a personal project. But I hope to share it in a few years, maybe.